Jeremy0322
04/22/2009, 11:07 PM
New to the forum I suppose, I have been lurking around for a while but never really posted or anything like that. Figured I would change that tonight and show off my new build project. I am pretty new to the hobby, started out a little over a year ago with a 55 gallon off of craigslist, but as with most cases I quickly got tired of the small tank and decided to go larger, so after Christmas I found a 90 gallon with most of what I would need for $500, which I quickly jumped on, and the new build had started.
My grandfather works in a mill, and has access to Lexan and decided to make a custom overflow, so after drilling the tank and getting the overflow installed it was a "reef ready" tank for practically nothing. Then I stained the stand, and this is where I was at a month and a half ago.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/CIMG5972.jpg
The sump is a pretty simple setup, its a 20 long with the majority of it for a refugium, and the power strip is in the cabinet to the right of the tank, which I built and stained to match, so dont worry about that, it was only there to test and make sure everything was working.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/CIMG6292.jpg
Then the Lighting needed to be tackled. On my 55 gallon tank I was running PC lighting and I was not making the same mistake again. After looking for a while I found an awesome retro T5 setup right here on RC, and quickly snatched it up, installed it, and I was ALMOST good to go. I didnt like, however, that you couldnt run the bulbs on separate timers, because I lost the ability to have a morning and night time setting. That was solved using the old PC fixture that I had, I just tore it apart and ran one of the ballasts on 2 of the bulbs as you can see here.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/HPNX0097.jpg
And this is the finished product, I dont think it looks too bad for someone relatively new to the hobby on a pretty small budget.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/CIMG6363.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/CIMG6365.jpg
I have (2) 150watt stealth heaters keeping it at a steady 79-80 degrees, and for flow I have an HK 1, a 3, and a 4 in there, along with the locline return from the mag 9.5 pushing about 550gph, for a total of about 3000gph in a 90 gallon, so its a pretty decent turnover rate. With that flow and the lighting I should be able to keep pretty much anything I want coral wise, I was only able to keep most softies in the 55.
As for the skimmer, I have not decided on one yet, and I may hold off until I move down to UNCW for college before I pick one up, I would like to run a bigger sump but I wont be able to change it out until the move, and when that happens I would just install the skimmer. I have been looking at the higher number ASM's like the 4's, I hear great things about them.
Anyways, let me know what you think! Criticisms are always welcome, I know the tank is far from perfect. Suggestions, comments, questions, anything, post em' up
My grandfather works in a mill, and has access to Lexan and decided to make a custom overflow, so after drilling the tank and getting the overflow installed it was a "reef ready" tank for practically nothing. Then I stained the stand, and this is where I was at a month and a half ago.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/CIMG5972.jpg
The sump is a pretty simple setup, its a 20 long with the majority of it for a refugium, and the power strip is in the cabinet to the right of the tank, which I built and stained to match, so dont worry about that, it was only there to test and make sure everything was working.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/CIMG6292.jpg
Then the Lighting needed to be tackled. On my 55 gallon tank I was running PC lighting and I was not making the same mistake again. After looking for a while I found an awesome retro T5 setup right here on RC, and quickly snatched it up, installed it, and I was ALMOST good to go. I didnt like, however, that you couldnt run the bulbs on separate timers, because I lost the ability to have a morning and night time setting. That was solved using the old PC fixture that I had, I just tore it apart and ran one of the ballasts on 2 of the bulbs as you can see here.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/HPNX0097.jpg
And this is the finished product, I dont think it looks too bad for someone relatively new to the hobby on a pretty small budget.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/CIMG6363.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc284/Jeremy0322/CIMG6365.jpg
I have (2) 150watt stealth heaters keeping it at a steady 79-80 degrees, and for flow I have an HK 1, a 3, and a 4 in there, along with the locline return from the mag 9.5 pushing about 550gph, for a total of about 3000gph in a 90 gallon, so its a pretty decent turnover rate. With that flow and the lighting I should be able to keep pretty much anything I want coral wise, I was only able to keep most softies in the 55.
As for the skimmer, I have not decided on one yet, and I may hold off until I move down to UNCW for college before I pick one up, I would like to run a bigger sump but I wont be able to change it out until the move, and when that happens I would just install the skimmer. I have been looking at the higher number ASM's like the 4's, I hear great things about them.
Anyways, let me know what you think! Criticisms are always welcome, I know the tank is far from perfect. Suggestions, comments, questions, anything, post em' up